Don’t Exalt Yourself: Devotion for Sunday February 23, 2020

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Sunday February 23, 2020

Topic: Don’t Exalt Yourself                                  

Text: Proverbs 12:9

Self is one problem hindering Man from perfection. Human nature in its entirety is selfish. It is inborn and only God can subdue or remove it in our lives. This problem is what the writer of Proverbs had seen and thus gave this admonition in our text. Sacrificing comfort and independence just to gain vain ostentation is the highest height of foolishness. “The affectation of wealth and rank makes men hypocritical and dishonest, and its end is ignominy and contempt” so asserts Family Bible Notes.                     

People usually want to present themselves as being important and indispensable when they are not (Prov. 13:7 & 12:9). Jesus warns us not to exalt ourselves (Matthew 23:12). James and Peter also confirmed that in James 4:10 and 1 Peter 5:6.

From Genesis to Revelation, we have stories of men and women that fell off God’s glory because they exalted themselves. Time will fail us to mention Satan, Saul, Nebuchadnezzar, Rehoboam, Herod and many others. Do not exalt yourself. Be contented with your position for God is pleased with it; whether rich or poor and at the right time, he will exalt you.

Food for Thought: Self exaltation has grave consequences.

Memory verse: Proverbs 13:7

Prayer: Lord God, grant me the spirit of contentment and remove pride in me which might lead me to exalt myself in Jesus name

Constant Prayer Was Offered For Him

MY DAILY COVENANT WITH GOD DEVOTIONAL

Devotion for Monday February 20, 2017

Topic: Constant Prayer Was Offered For Him

Text: Acts 12:1 – 5                          

Prayer is the life of Christianity and an effectual weapon for believers to face all manner of life’s challenges. Beloved brothers and sisters, if prayer had given you victory before, then engage in constant prayer for a constant victory. That is the way to live a victorious Christian life. We should note that God will not do certain things until we pray; individually or collectively.

Peter, James and John belong to the inner caucus of Jesus’ ministry. One would have taught that Jesus will stop King Herod from killing James (Acts 12:1-2). Unfortunately, constant prayer was not made for him; perhaps it would have been different. When Herod kept Peter in prison to be killed at a later date, the church woke up and offered constant prayer to God for him (Acts 12:5) and he was released (Acts 12:7). If we engage in constant prayer, there will be intervention in our situation because effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16b).

The early Churches often engaged in prolonged corporate prayer (Acts 1:14; 2:42; 4:24 – 31; 12:5). God intends that we should always gather together for meaningful, enduring prayers. Jesus said, “My house will be called the house of prayer” (Matthew 21:13).

As Christians we should not neglect times for prayer especially corporate prayer. It’s high time we enter constant prayer and start heaping up prayer deposits for the years and generation ahead, and for the good of our nation. The prayer of Jesus in Luke 22:31 contributed in Peter’s freedom in the future. Constant prayer can change evil decree (Dan. 6:8-14). We cannot discover the extent and potency of the power we possess until we start praying. Remember what Jesus said in Luke 18:1 that we should always persist in prayer. Do it often and again and you will never regret it.  

Food for Thought: Prevailing prayer is not eloquence but earnestness.

Memory verse: Acts 12 verse 5 - So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church.

Prayer: Teach us to pray, O Lord, that we should no longer complain.

BECAUSE OF ONE PERSON: Devotion for Sunday December 27, 2015

BECAUSE OF ONE PERSON    Sunday December 27, 2015

Text: Matthew 2:16 – 18           Memory verse: v 16b

When devil is out to destroy a soul, he can terminate many others to get that one person. Unfortunately, when God’s hand is at work, they may be a mayhem or genocide which will still not get to the person devil wants. This is the case in our bible reading for today. Herod was furious when he learned that the wise men had outwitted him. All Herod knew was that a future king, still a child, lived in Bethlehem. After consulting with the wise men (2:7), he deduced that the child would not be more than two years old. So he sent soldiers to kill all the boys in and around Bethlehem who were two years old and below. This is just to get at one person.

Any effort of men to prevent the fulfilment of the word of God never materializes. Herod stained his hands with blood, but he did not harm Jesus. Herod was king by a human appointment; Jesus is a King by a divine appointment. No one can thwart God’s plans. This story should encourage us in our time of trials because our destiny is in God’s hand. No amount of threat and intimidation can stop God’s plan against your life (Lamentation 3:3). Your destiny cannot be thwarted. You will live fully.

Food for Thought: Jesus is a King by a divine appointment

Prayer: Lord, grant that no man can destroy my destiny in Jesus name.

GOD CANNOT BE MOCKED: Devotion for Wednesday October 21, 2015

GOD CANNOT BE MOCKED       Wednesday October 21, 2015

Text: Galatians 6:1 – 10                            Memory verse: v 7

In Luke 16:19 – 31, is the story of an unnamed rich man and Lazarus who had sores all over his body. Lazarus wanted only crumbs from the rich man’s table but the rich man mocked Lazarus as his dog also came and licked his sores till he died. Both received their rewards. The rich man by his action against Lazarus mocked God his creator (Proverbs 14:31; 17:5). Paul warns us in this epistle that we cannot mock God. Mock is to treat something or somebody with scorn or to mimic somebody. He compares charity and Christian bounty to seed sown, and assures us, that the crop we reap shall be answerable, both in quality and kind, and also in measure and degree, to the seed we sow.

We sow seeds through our words and deeds. In this seed-time, we should be mindful of where we sow our seeds. If you sow in the flesh – beauty, sexual satisfaction, worldly affairs, etc, which are ways of mocking God; we will reap same at the end (Galatians 6:8). Beloved, do not mock God by taking his words lightly. Many who tried it are regretting now. Remember Herod, Goliath, Belshazzar, etc. The worst undoing of your life would be to mock God by compromising his word. Beware

Food for Thought: Job 13:9.

Prayer: God, grant that I may sow in the spirit so I can reap eternal life.'

BEFORE DESTRUCTION COMES

BEFORE DESTRUCTION COMES   Saturday July 4, 2015

Text: Proverbs 18:12                 Memory verse: v 12

No one is destroyed without a cause. Samson was tamed when he exposed the secrets of his power. Before Nebuchadnezzar was driven into the bush, he was proud and never acknowledged who made him. Time will fail us to mention Herod, Belshazzar, etc. The spirit that manifested in them was enough evidence to show what their end will be. A man's spirit is a sure indication of the lot that awaits him: if he is humble, he will reap honor; if he is haughty, he will reap ruin.

Beloved, pride is the presage of ruin, and ruin will at last be the punishment of pride. In the same way, humility is the presage of honour and prepares men for it, and honour shall at length be the reward of humility (Proverbs 15:33). We manifest pride through words of our mouth, action, dressing, etc. Mention other ways. Pride goes before destruction. We should be mindful of how we live so that we will not ignorantly be proud rather we should show humility in everything for that will bring us honour at the end (Philippians 2:5 – 11).

Food for Thought: Is it possible to know when you manifest pride?

Prayer: Lord, remove every atom of pride in me and grant me the spirit of humility in Jesus name.

DEFILING GOD

Defiling God         Monday April 20, 2015

Text: Daniel 5:23a       Memory verse: v 23a

One way we attract God’s anger easily is by making mockery of Him. People who made mockery of God in the likes of Lot’s wife, Ananias and Sapphira, Herod, Nebuchadnezzar, Paul, Goliath, etc, were not left unpunished. Recently, a preacher inside a bus was beaten to coma by commuters when condom fell off from his bible while he was preaching inside the bus. You cannot cheat God. Whatever we sow, we shall also reap as we learnt yesterday.

This was the case of Belshazzar son of Nebuchadnezzar, who could not learn from the mistakes of his father. He was so full of himself that he thought it a wise thing to use the sacred vessels of the house of God to drink with his lords, wives and concubines. An ABOMINATION indeed! He has defiled the Lord of heaven by putting to a profane use the sacred vessels of His temple.

There are many ways we defile God. Some commit all manner of evil and come to church to officiate. Some steal from God’s temple; some tell lies in the name of God, some make false claims about supplies to church, etc, Can you mention some other ways people defile God? We should be mindful of what we do with God and His temple to avert His anger.  

Food for Thought: Making mockery of God is inviting His wrath.

Prayer: God, help me never to contend with you by making mockery of you for no one contends with his maker in Jesus name.